The invention is an improved electrolysis system. The improvements may be applied to all systems involving electrolysis, a chemical reaction carried out by passage of electric current through a solution of an electrolyte or through a molten salt. The electrolysis system illustrated herein is used for producing electrolyzed liquids, herein acidic water with virucidal and bacteriocidal properties similar to that used for drinking water with claimed medicinal properties.
Hypochlorous acid as a virucidal and bacteriocidal agent, i.e. sanitizing component, is typically produced by electrolysis of water and chlorinated salts pumped into an electrolysis cell. The chlorinated salt usually come from brine, a solution of sodium chloride and water, due to the latter""s low cost and availability. Other sources of chloride ions, however, can also be used. Halogen ions such as chloride and bromide are usually added to the feed water to increase the electrical conduction of the cell. The electrolysis of water and brine, hereinafter salt water, also produces aside from hypochlorous acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, chlorine and hydrogen as primary products. Conventional electrolysis cells used for producing electrolyzed liquids are equipped with at least an anode and a cathode in the interior and typically have a dual structure in which the anode and cathode are usually separated by a membrane to divide the cell into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber. The barrier membrane provide the advantage of preventing the products at the anode chamber from mixing with the products from the cathode chamber. Electrolysis is performed by application of a current to the electrodes, the anode and the cathode. In the electrolysis of salt water, at the anode, hydroxide ions [OHxe2x88x92] contained in the salt water give electrons to the positive electrode to become oxygen gas. Thus, the concentration of hydrogen ions [H+] in the water flowing through the space between the barrier membrane and the anode, the anode chamber, increases to make the water acidic, hereinafter referred to as acidic water. Also at the anode (positive electrode), chloride ions [Clxe2x88x92] contained in salt water give electrons to the anode to become chlorine gas. The chlorine gas dissolves in the acidic water at the anode chamber to become hypochlorous acid, a component that gives its virucidal and bacteriocidal effect. Not all of the chlorine gases, however, may dissolve completely in the acidic water, some may still exist as chlorine gas which pose a toxicity problem during the collection of the acidic water from the anode chamber. At the cathode (negative electrode), hydrogen ions [H+] contained in the salt water are given electrons from the negative electrode to become hydrogen. Also, at the cathode, sodium ions [Na+] and hydroxide ions [OHxe2x88x92] contained in salt water are bonded together to become sodium hydroxide, therefore, the water flowing through the space between the barrier membrane and the cathode, the cathode chamber, becomes alkaline, hereinafter referred to as alkaline water. The evolved hydrogen, although flammable, explosive and reduces the oxygen level in an enclosed area, do not pose the same degree of danger as the chlorine gas because it is lighter than air while the chlorine gas is heavier than air and therefore can be easily inhaled by the operators and users of the electrolyzed water.
Chlorine and hydrogen are usually not the only gases liberated or produced during the electrolysis because tap water instead of deionized or distilled water, and brine instead of a pure solution of sodium chloride in distilled water, are used.
The acidic water produced from the anode chamber, depending upon the level of hypochlorous acid, has numerous known usage. The alkaline water produced at the cathode chamber during the electrolysis of tap water alone, is often used as drinking water and has been proposed to have medicinal effect and applications. The alkaline water from the cathode chamber produced by the electrolysis of tap water and brine, most often, is discarded. One aspect of the invention is to react this alkaline water from the cathode chamber produced from the electrolysis of brine and water, with the liberated chlorine gas to produce sodium hypochlorite solution, the component of what is commonly known as bleach. Another usage is to react the alkaline water with the used acidic water or vice-versa to solve the problem associated with the discharge of these electrolysis products/electrolyzed liquids into the sewage system.
Several improvements to the electrolysis system have been incorporated in the past such as the ability to control electric conductivity of the salt water, the oxidation-reduction potential, the sanitizing level and the pH of the products.
These electrolysis systems comprising the electrolysis cell and incorporated accessories do not address several problems like the discharge of toxic and hazardous gases, such as chlorine and hydrogen during the electrolysis of salt water, into the surrounding environment except to recommend that the process be done in a well ventilated area or the discharge of these electrolyzed liquids into the sewage system.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an electrolysis system that addresses the amount of toxic and hazardous gases liberated into the surrounding air.
It is also an object of this invention to utilize the liberated chlorine gas from the electrolysis of chlorinated electrolytes, to produce sodium hypochlorite, the major component of the common household bleach or to recycle the chlorine gas into the electrolysis system.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a mechanism for detecting and controlling the level of chlorine gas discharged into the environment during the electrolysis of chlorinated electrolytes
It is also a further object of this invention to provide a safe method for discharging the spent electrolysis products into the sewage system.